North Shore Rugby: A sport for all seasons

Thursday

Jun 27, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 27, 2013 at 2:31 AM

North Shore Youth Rugby will be running a Summer Introduction to Rugby Clinic for players in the U-14 to U-18 age range, starting July 14 for six weeks. The venue TBA, but still feel free to signup now at tagrugby@nsrfc.com in order to get on a list as numbers will be limited to maintain workable groups between coach and players. The cost will be $100, which includes registration with USA Rugby for insurance purposes. Visit North Shore Trailblazers on Facebook, or also at www.nsyrfc.com to signup.

Staff reports

Summer rugby clinic

North Shore Youth Rugby will be running a Summer Introduction to Rugby Clinic for players in the U-14 to U-18 age range, starting July 14 for six weeks. The venue TBA, but still feel free to signup now at tagrugby@nsrfc.com in order to get on a list as numbers will be limited to maintain workable groups between coach and players. The cost will be $100, which includes registration with USA Rugby for insurance purposes. Visit North Shore Trailblazers on Facebook, or also at www.nsyrfc.com to signup.

USA coaching certifies 36

The North Shore Youth RFC hosted the USA rugby coaching certification program for the second straight year at Salem State University June 1. There were 36 L200 coaches certified.

Spring season

North Shore Youth Rugby wrapped up the spring season at the GEAA Field in Lynn, the home of the men’s team, on Sunday, June 23.

It was a perfect day for a game, if a bit hot at 87 degrees. The North Shore youngsters came in with plenty of confidence for this friendly game, but still well aware that the Boston Irish Wolfhounds would be out for revenge after an opening day loss inflicted on them in Canton.

The North Shore Trailblazers were a bit overconfident early, and they paid the price for it. The Wolfhounds put the pressure on the Trailblazers from the start, when their off running back negotiated a long kick for a tray (five points).

The home team was put under extreme pressure by the young Irish out-half, who displayed some excellent tactical kicking to keep his team going forward.

The North Shore coverage of the backfield was not alert enough to be in position to launch a counterattack until later in the half. They were not making first up tackles, and things then started to go wrong for them, spreading like a virus.

When the ball normally gets into the hands of the Trailblazers backline, it is usually just brilliant uninhibited rugby, but it wasn’t to be in this game, while missing a couple of players.

The Wolfhounds crossed for an unconverted try to extend the lead, 10-0.

But then, Zach Schutz of Danvers and the Trailblazers caught the restart, and took off with support, busting through two tacklers with a support runner following through on a nice line for the offload, but it ended there with the Wolfhounds getting back on defense to turnover the ball and kick for touch. The set scrums, although uncontested, were very much contested around the fringes, while both halfbacks worked hard.

The ball began to move better through the hands of the Wolfhounds, making incisive cuts through the North Shore midfield.

Will Bennett of Beverly worked hard, while playing out of position, but could not prevent the Wolfhounds from scoring, when their out half ran in a beautiful try under the North Shore goalposts, and then converted his own try for an additional two points, and a 17-0 lead.

Liam Crossen of Manchester, at out half for the Trailblazers, ignited the attack in the second half, tackling and rucking all over the field, and contesting and securing the ball, before sending it to his Manchester neighbor Briant Bradley on a searing run down the left flank only to be bundled into touch.

Will Cronin of Danvers was finding Crossen with some swift passing from the set pieces — scrums and lineouts — and gave the backline more time and space to open up the Wolfhounds defense and cross for a try underneath the goalposts by Bradley and concerted by Crossen.

The Trailblazers piled on the pressure, and began to play like they normally do, but still made some terrible errors to cost them on a couple of easy run in tries by the Wolfhounds.

Right-winger Jack Donaldson of Beverly retrieved a kick in deep, and went off on a run drawing a defender before passing the ball, which set an attack in motion with the ball going through the hands of the Trailblazers resulting in a try for left-winger Liam Foley of Salem, and then the conversion went to Crossen to account for the final score, 37-14. The Wolfhounds were able to even the season series with one home loss for each team.

North Shore Rugby history

The North Shore youth program began in the summer of 2009 in partnership with Danvers Recreation, and continues the spring program in Danvers, as well as a fall program in partnership with Manchester Parks and Recreation. The Reds also began a winter indoor sevens rugby round robin in Topsfield this past January and February, which went very well. The Essex County RFC won the tournament hardware, which was presented by Bill Good, President of the Massachusetts Youth Rugby Organization.

The Reds are intending to expand the number of entrants for next winter, and will begin accepting registrants in mid-September.

Several schools in the area — St. Mary’s of the Annunciation in Danvers, Manchester-Essex Regional Middle School, Briscoe Middle School and St. John’s the Evangelist School of Beverly —have welcomed non-contact rugby into their physical education programs, opening up a new Olympic-sport to the next generation that doesn’t clash with the fall football season.

The possible transferable benefits to football-playing schools will be a more fit and agile athlete, reducing the possibility of injury.

On June 13, coaches from the MYRO and North Shore Youth RFC were invited to introduce rugby to students at St. Mary’s during their Field Day. The turnout was tremendous, and the coaches enjoyed introducing rugby, as much as the students appeared to be enjoying learning this great game.

The youth rugby program, looking for a new permanent home field, is also searching for a new sponsor, a good deal when all of the Olympic promotional news hits the media, both local and national. Businesses interested in sponsoring the youth rugby program should contact Des Crowley at 978-595-7803.